By Leigh-Ann Athanasius
HR professionals tend to wear many hats in the workplace. When an employee struggles, they reach out to HR. When leadership needs guidance, HR steps in. They are recruiters, arbitrators and peacemakers, unofficial counsellors, custodians of company culture, team builders, and are generally always available to support everyone else. But when HR faces challenges, who do they turn to? The nature of HR work comes with its own unique set of challenges. There is greater emotional toll involved in handling sensitive employee matters, the pressure of needing to be constantly well versed in changing policies and compliance requirements, and the responsibility of balancing the needs of leadership and staff, that may not be as present in other roles within an organisation.
Unfortunately, many HR professionals take on those responsibilities without clear boundaries being established on where other departments should be taking over to ease their burden; and that can create the perfect conditions for increased stress and burnout. It can lead to isolation where HR feels that they are bearing the weight of everyone’s expectations without the necessary support to do so.
So, who is HR for HR?
What does “HR for HR” look like?
There are a few steps that an organisation can take to improve the support systems available to their HR team. As with most situations, the first step is getting HR to recognise that they need the help and be willing to receive it without feeling like they are failing at their position. Just because one can do everything, doesn’t mean they should. A few of the ways to provide HR for HR are:
1. Provide Internal Support
This basically entails having structures within the company that can break up the chain of responsibility. What this can look like is having employees go to their manager for certain issues rather than HR dealing with every complaint. This can lighten the load for HR staff as some disputes may be solved within their respective departments.
Another form of internal support is figuring out the reasonable ratio of HR to employees. Naturally, the larger your organisation, the more HR professionals you will need to ensure that they are not overwhelmed. However, the exact ratio may vary depending on the level of support that comes from other areas of the organisation. For example, one where line managers and supervisors are more involved with employees, you may be able to have more employees per HR professional because it is a more supportive environment.
HRIS’ and other HR related tech are becoming an increasingly important tool in the HR toolbelt; is your HR tech up to date and relevant to help your HR team? Considering HR’s broad scope; where they are expected to cover all the professional and sometimes personal development of employees; it can be overwhelming for the HR team if they are not well equipped to handle the number of staff they are assigned. Ensuring you have relevant HR tech integrated into your operations to make these processes as simple as possible can significantly ease the burden on HR professionals.
2. External Support
The only person who can fully understand what one is going through, is someone going through the same experience. Encouraging your HR team to plug into the surrounding community and building peer networks and support groups can be greatly beneficial. These communities are safe spaces where HR professionals can connect, share experiences and debrief without judgment. These spaces not only reduce isolation but also create opportunities for collaboration and problem solving. Some of these communities include Hacking HR, Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR), Women in HR Kenya, IHRM Kenya.
3. Mental Health and Wellness Support
HR tends to shoulder all the emotional weight of the organisation and that can take a toll on the individuals’ mental health. HR themselves are not therapists and thus don’t always have the capacity to deal with emotional expectations of the job – both their own and of the other employees.
The best way to support them is to provide regular access to therapy, coaching and other wellness resources that would promote balance and improved mental health. In fact, making such resources available for all staff promotes a healthy environment across the entire organisation where everybody can get the support that they need, which by extension helps lighten the load that HR is carrying.
Part of wellness is also ensuring that the HR team is utilising the resources or benefits that are available for their well-being such as taking their leave days, taking advantage of flexibilities allowed in work hours or remote work possibilities. Much like the HR team would encourage employees to take care of themselves, it is important that HR does the same.
4. Establish Boundaries
Create boundaries for the scope of HR and stick to them. HR is often expected to take on several roles, but this can quickly snowball into HR becoming the dumping ground for any operational challenge.
The HR professionals themselves also need to create their own personal boundaries when it comes to work-life balance and knowing when not to take the work home with them. Boundaries can be a difficult thing to set up, but if they are encouraged by the organisation as a whole, the HR will likely have an easier time creating them and actually following them, resulting in a better supported HR team.
5. Get Feedback
HR is so often facilitating and collecting feedback from the rest of the organisation, but feedback loops should also be created for the HR teams. Regular check-ins, whether led by an internal or external facilitator, help uncover needs, gaps, and stress points experienced by HR. With regular feedback, there is a lesser likelihood that issues will build up and can decrease feelings of resentment that may arise from HR lacking the support they need.
Ultimately, a supported HR department leads to a stronger employee experience, reduced turnover, and a more thoughtful culture. It’s often said that you can’t pour from an empty cup, and in the case of HR, that couldn’t be more true. Just as they support the other employees, HR professionals need the same level of support.